Euphorbia pulcherrima. 
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Eckalohaxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts with desirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-production longevity.
The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a unnamed proprietary induced mutation, not patented, that originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckabri, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,880, to gamma radiation. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the irradiated selection on or about Mar. 19, 1999, in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Eckalohaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Eckalohaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with irregularly lobed pale yellow and pink bi-colored flower bracts.
2. Irregularly lobed green and dark green bi-colored leaves.
3. Uniform, compact and mounded plant habit.
4. Very early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 18 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 7.5 weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Eckabri. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Eckabri in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Poinsettia were irregularly lobed and green and dark green bi-colored whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Eckabri were oak-leaf shaped and solid dark green.
2. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were irregularly lobed and pale yellow and pink bi-colored whereas flower bracts of plants of the cultivar Eckabri were oak-leaf shaped and solid pink in color.
Plants of the new Poinsettia are most similar to plants of the cultivar Eckaiden, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,888. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Eckaiden in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Poinsettia were irregularly lobed and green and dark green bi-colored whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Eckaiden were oak-leaf shaped and solid dark green in color.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar Eckaiden.
3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were irregularly lobed whereas flower bracts of plants of the cultivar Eckaiden were oak-leaf shaped.
4. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia had larger and darker pink centers than flower bracts of plants of the cultivar Eckaiden.